R9 290X pics, benches leak

As AMD’s Hawaii event draws near, we’re starting to see more and more leaks and one in particular is causing a lot of buzz on enthusiast forums. A small Chinese tech site has posted (and pulled) loads of photos and benches. Luckily, several other sites carried the photos, saving them for posterity. You can check them out over at Legit Reviews.

Since the hacks clearly had access to a proper sample, the benchmarks should be legit. However, DG’s Nerdy Story did not shed any light on the actual specs, so we’re still in the dark as far as clocks and other juicy numbers go. In any case the photos revealed a straightforward PCB design with a 5+1 power phase arrangement, 8-pin and 6-pin power connectors, no surprises there.

However, the benchmarks are a bit more interesting. In 3DMark Fire Strike it outpaces the GTX 780 in all tests expect physics, but it falls short of Titan. In real world tests it trounces the Titan in many games, which is very impressive given the expected price difference. Let’s not forget about the lack of proper drivers for Hawaii, either.

Of course, any leaks should be taken with a grain of salt at this point, but nonetheless we feel these have a good chance of being legit, as the site obviously had the card in its hands. If true, Titan owners all over the world could start avoiding their buddies who prefer AMD, as massive trollage is about to ensue.